Tuesday's local college basketball roundup: Apprentice's Andrews makes USCAA All-American first team for third time

Staff, wire reports

The Apprentice School’s Tevin Andrews was named a first-team U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association Division I All-American for the third consecutive year.

Andrews joined former teammate Isaih Harrison and Charles Holiday as Builders to become three-time All-Americans. Andrews is averaging 18.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game while hitting almost 41 percent from 3-point range for the Builders, who begin play in the USCAA national tournament Wednesday in Uniontown, Pa., against Daemen (N.Y.).

Bilal Dixon hit a short jumper with 36 seconds left in overtime, lifting Towson to an 85-81 win at George Mason.

Jerrelle Benimon poured in a game-high 31 points, including a layup that tied the game at 81 with 1:56 to play in OT. Marcus Damas added 23 for the Tigers (17-13, 12-5 Colonial Athletic Association), hitting two foul shots with seven seconds remaining.

Towson moved into second place in the CAA a year after going 1-31 and snapping a 41-game losing streak that dated to the 2010-11 campaign.

Jonathan Arledge scored a team-high 17 points for George Mason (17-12, 10-7) despite foul trouble that limited him to less than half the game. Erik Copes contributed a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double.

The Patriots' Anali Okaloji canned a 3-pointer with one second remaining in regulation to tie the score at 79, but George Mason managed just two points in the extra session.

CIAA men's tournament first round:

Allen Harris scored 21 points and Christopher Grier had 16 as Virginia State defeated Fayetteville State 75-65 in the first round of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's tournament in Charlotte, N.C.

The Trojans, who overcame a 17-point early second-half deficit, earned their first CIAA tournament victory since 2009 and advanced to Wednesday's play.

Harris hit 9 of 10 free throws for VSU, which trailed 48-31 but scored 14 consecutive points to get back in the game. ...

Ashante Ross sank a 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds remaining, giving Chowan a 59-58 victory over Shaw in the night's last game, which didn't end until past 12:40 a.m.

The Hawks earned the right to face Bowie State.

CAA women

William and Marybeat Georgia State 79-73 at Kaplan Arena behind Janine Aldridge’s 19 points, six steals and five assists and Kyla Kerstetter’s 17 points.

W&M led most of the game but couldn't shake the Panthers. Taylor Hilton’s 3-pointer with 44 seconds left gave the Tribe a 77-73 edge, and W&M's defense made numerous key stops.

Builders gain honors

Apprentice’s Danita Whitaker was named a second-team USCAA Division I All-American, and teammate Brittanie Herriott made the USCAA All-Academic team.

Whitaker averaged 12.6 points and 10.9 rebounds and shot a team-best 46.8 percent from the field. This was the 15th consecutive year that an Apprentice woman was named a USCAA All-American.

Herriott, a maintenance electrician apprentice, gained her honor by carrying a grade-point average over 3.5.

CIAA women's tournament:

Autumn Smith-Faulkner, who finished with a game-high 21 points and six rebounds, helped St. Augustine's beat Chowan 67-63 in the CIAA women's first round in Charlotte.